Electrically controlled loop regulating mechanism for full fashioned knitting machines



Sept. 8, 1931.

C. F. MEYER ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED LOOP REGULATING MECHANISM FOR FULL FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY I ATTORNE s.

Sept. 8, 1931. c MEYER 1,821,982

ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED LOOP REGULATING MECHANISM FOR FULL FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 9. 1929 2'Sheets-Sheet, 2

EIE Z FIG--5- INVENTOR:

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 8, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTIAN F. MEYER, OF WYOMISSIN'G, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO TEXTILE MA- CHINE WORKS, OF WYOMISSING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA ELEC'IRICALLY CONTROLLED LOOP REGULATING MECHANISM FOILFULL FASHIONED KNITTING- MACHINES Application filed December 9, 1929. Serial No. 412,662.

This invention relates to full-fashioned knitting machines, and more specifically te the loop-regulating mechanism controlling in known manner the length of the thread L loops formed on the needles in accordance v a pattern mechanism, the resulting advantages including a simplified structure, greatly increased possible variation of control, and ease and quickness in efiecting control changes to conform with differing design formations desired.

With the above main purposes outlined, and with others that will later hereinafter appear, this invention consists of the improved loop-regulating operating and control mechanisms fully described in the following specification in connection with the drawings accompanying the same and forming part thereof, the novel features of which are pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary rear elevation of a central portion of a known full-fashioned knitting machine, indicating the usual coulier-motion mechanism thereof, and showing an embodiment of the pattern-control mechanism of the present improvements.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the pattern-control mechanism, being shown substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is substantially a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. y

4 is an enlarged fragmentary front view of the switch contact control plunger mechanism. V

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the knitting machine showing essential portionssof the usual loop-regulating mechanism and a simple embodiment of the improved electrical operating mechanism therefor.

The full-fashioned knitting machine indicated in the drawings is of usual construction and operation, and the known coulier motion mechanism showing of Fig. 1, and the loopregulation mechanism showing of Fig. 5 are believed sufficient to fully disclose the nature and o eration of the present improvements. Re erring to Fig. 1, coulier cam 5, driven from the main cam-shaft of the knitting machine in well known manner, reciprocates pitman 6 in a horizontal plane, and said pitman 6 is intermediately pivotally connected to a lever 7, the reversely swung upper end of which is pivotally linked to friction box bracket 8 moving on a fixed track 9. Friction box bracket 9 is connected to and reciprocatively traverses a friction box rod 10, such rod as well known carrying friction boxes (not shown) connectable with determined carrier rods (not shown) to move the latter; thread guides on said carrier rods feeding thread to the several knitting machine sections as heretofore and such usual operations above set forth being well known and requiring no further description.

To determinedly regulate the thread loops thus fed by the aforesaid carrier rods to the needles 15 indicated in Fig. 5 the needle bar 16 is rocked in well known manner through levers 17, 18, 19 and 20 from a loop regulat: ing shaft 21. And determined rocking movements have heretofore been imparted to said shaft 21 through suitable arms thereon, not shown, actuated by cams on the main cam shaft 22, which mechanism is well known and a fuller description of which may be had by reference to Zwicky Patent 1,417,289

of May 23,- 1922.

The present improvements contemplate the electrical operation of said loop regulating shaft 21, which may be employed for added shaft operations or as substitutes for frame. When the solenoid is energized by the closing of an electric circuit through wires 29 and 30, its core piece 27 will be moved, and in so moving it will act through link 26 and arm 25 to rock shaft 21, and

the latter acting through levers 20, 19, 18'

magnet may obviously be substituted.

Such solenoid operation of the loop regulation shaft is independent of the machine control and may be effected at anytime during a part or full course thread feeding operation; and to synchronize such solenoid movements and determinedly control the same for desired regulation of certain loops, the present improvements provide pattern control mechanism to regulate and time the electrically energized movements of the solenoid. Such regulating and timing mechanism, as shown in the drawings, comprises a switch controlling the opening and closing of the electrical circuit and a pattern belt for determinedly operating said switch as will now be described.

The electrical circuit includes the wires 29 I and 30 indicated in Fig. 5, which wires are extended, as indicated in Fig. 3, wire 30 be-' as shown, are in the form of rub plates ex- 405 an insulating fixed supporting bar 34, and

A a slide bar 38 tending in longitudinal spaced relation on are adapted to be engaged respectively by spring contact blades 35 and 36 mounted in spaced insulated relation on a bracket 37, which bracket is secured to and movable with pivotally connected at 39 to lever 7, and reciprocatingly traversed by the latter in unison with the traverse imparted to friction boxrod 10.

Bracket 37 as seen in Fig. 4 carries a vertical plunger rod'40 extending above and below said bracket and suitably mounted so as to be freely movable axially, a spring 41 exerting a normal tendency to depress the same. A bridge bar 42, fixed to an insulating cap 43 on the'upper end of plunger 40, is

adapted to be normally seated by action or spring 41 so as to bridge and electrically unite contact extensions 46 and 47 carried by said bracket 37 and connected to spring blades 35 and 36, such bridge bar contacting movement, closing the electrical circuit through wires 29 and 30.

The depending edge of. plunger rod 40, is shown as having a ball head 49 adapted to ride on a drum 50 and move longitudinally therealong. Said drum 50 is shown as carrying a pattern belt 51 made up of ivotally connected sections formed with per orations or slots 52 into which ball head 49 descends to lower bridge plate and close the electrical circuit thereby as above described. By suitable arrangement of said slots 52, the action ofsolenoid plunger 27 may be controlled to actuate loop regulating shaft 21 as desired with determined relation to the thread feed as controlled by the action of lever 7. Substitution of pattern sections may be easily and quickly efiected to change such loop control, and the action of the solenoid varied for any desired loop regulation to conform with variations of the thread feed.

Drum 50 is shown as mounted on shaft 55 carrying bevel drive gears 56 and 57 in mesh respectively with bevel gears 58 and 59. on transverse shafts 60 and 61. Gears 62 and 63 on said shafts 60 and 61 are engaged by a rack rod 64, which rod is operatively reciprocated by slide bar 38 through rigid arms 65 and 66 fixed to said bar and depending from the latter to engage shoulders 67 and 68 spacedly secured to said bar 64. Gears 62 and 63 are loose on shafts 60 and 61 and have spring pressed ratchet clutches 69 and 70 so that the reciprocative movements of rack bar 64 act to turn drum 50 in one direction only; while spaced shoulders 67 and 68 insure a de the end of each rack reciprocation and beyond any card slot action on plunger rod 40, tochange the pattern belt section so as to present a new section thereof for action on ball head 49 of said plunger 40 at each feeding reciprocation of friction box rod 10.

This improved electrical operation and pattern control provide in a simple manner for any desired variable operat onsof the loop regulating mechanism, which as before stated, may be employed as added movements of the latter, or used as substitutes for heretofore employed means of operating said loop regulating mechanism. W The sections of the pattern belt may be readily changed as desired, and this improved regulation provides for multiplicities of'controls not heretofore' attainable.

It is believed that the nature of this invention and its manner of operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description, and that modifications of the specific embodiment above set forth may be readily devised that are within the spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims.

What I claim is 2-- 1. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having a thread-feeding mechanism, an electrically operated loop-regulating mechanism, and a pattern controlled switch for said regfeeding mechanism.

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2. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having a thread-feeding mechanism, an electrically operated loop-regulating mechanism including an electro magnetically actuated lever, and a pattern controlled electric switch for said electro magnet actuated by said thread-feeding mechanism.

3. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having a thread-feeding mechanism, an electrically operated loop-regulating mechanism, including a switch device having a fixed contact and a movable contact actuated by said thread-feeding mechanism, and a pattern mechanism controlling the contacting of said fixed and movable switch members.

4. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having a thread-feeding mechanism, an electrically operated loop-regulating mechanism including an electro-magnetically actuated lever, an electric switch for said electro magnet having a fixed contact and a movable contact actuated by said thread-feeding mechanism, and a pattern mechanism controlling the contacting of said fixedand movable switch members.

5. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having a thread-feeding mechanism, an electrically operated loop-regulating mechanism including an electro magnetically actuated lever, a switch for said electro magnet having a fixed contact and a movable contact actuated by said thread-feeding mechanism,

' and a pattern mechanism controlling the contact-in of said fixed and movable switch members including a sectional pattern chain and means for step-by-step advancing the latter.

6. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having athread-feeding mechanism including means for feeding additional part course threads, an electrically operated loop-regulating mechanism, including an electro magnetically actuated lever, a switch for said electro magnet including a fixed contact and a movable contact actuated by said threadby-step advancing the latter.

8. In combination with a full-fashioned knitting machine having a thread-feeding carrier-rod traversing mechanism and a loopsaid regulating mechanism comprising an electro magnetically operated lever, an electric circuit for said electro magnet, a circuit-closing switch in said circuit comprising a fixed member and a movable member, a pattern mechanism comprising a sectional pattern chain controlling the contacting of said fixed and movable switch members, means actuated by said traversing mechanism adapted to move said movable switch member across said pattern chain, and means for step-by-step advancing said pattern chain.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHRISTIAN F. MEYER.

regulating mechanism, means for actuating 

